Selection of Preferred Shots

At the time I was using black and white
photographs. Now, I use color slides and put them
on a light box, going over
them checking the possible choices. An interesting new
development is that many illustrators now simply manipulate the
actual photograph on a computer, and don't paint at all. It is a lot
faster, but would not appeal to me at all. I'd rather paint!

Final Selection of Photo

I send the one slide I've chosen as the best, to
have an enlargement made, which I work
from doing the painting. I used to draw directly from a live model
when I was a fashion artist, but it would be impossible to have these models
hold the pose for two weeks while I do a painting! -especially at their
prices per hour!!

Drawing

Before painting, I first draw everything
with a small brush (only Winsor Newton Series 7). Expensive, but
worth the price, using oil, in the color of burnt umber, thinly.

Painting - Early Stage

Here I've added no other colors yet, but have established
the values, where the darkest, middle tones, and lightest
areas will be, still using only
burnt umber in wash tones.

Painting - Middle Stage

I'm beginning to add the general colors,
lightly in oil wash. I've decided the dress will be blue-green,
not red, as the model wore at the shooting as a contrast to the warm colors
in the rest of the painting. The colors and depth are developing
more, but it still looks washed out. It takes Time! I now begin
to use oil paint more heavily and to develop the faces and hands, giving
them more color and form.

Painting - Finished

Here it is fully developed with a suggestion of a cave
they're in. There is a mystery in this book, a suggestion that
the hero might actually be dangerous, a killer! That's why I chose to have his
hand on her throat, so you don't know whether he's going to kiss her or
kill her! The rest of the background is left white as in the entire
series of nineteen I did for Victoria Holt books.

Delivering Painting to Art Director

This the reception area of the art department at CBS Fawcett.
It is a bit glamorized
for delivering work. I always went to the art director's office.
Here, I'm sitting with one of the assistant art directors. I regret
that the head art director, Dale Phillips, didn't pose here. He was
as handsome as any model, looked a lot like Paul Newman, and was
every artist's favorite art director, a wonderful man
who gave many illustrators their start.

First Proof

Shows color bands along the side for printers to match to and is
missing the gold lettering that is to come.

Final Book Cover

The finished book as you'd see it on the stands.
The first cover I did for Victoria Holt books, The Spring of the
Tiger, was a huge best seller, and for that reason CBS Fawcett
commissioned me to do all of her back titles in the same style.
This is one of the series, of nineteen covers, The Shivering Sands.